Katrina Strauss Sonoran Heat(Contemporary)

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The sunlight glinted through the transparentbrown beverage. Wait, Josh said.He looked back at his painting.Hand-painted vintage photograph.Even with color added, the commonelement is sepia.And old photographs, they have that dusky,clouded layer, one that s cracked and faded over time.The proverbial light bulb flicked on.Josh slid off of the stool. Tony, you re a genius. I am? Yes, you are. Josh kissed Tony on the cheek. I need a cup ofthat tea.120SONORAN HEATTony gave a puzzled crease of the brow. Interesting reaction.What do I get if I brew you a whole vat?Josh laughed.He slung an arm around Tony s waist as theysauntered across the deck. It s the perfect shade for a wash. A wash? A diluted layer.It produces that cloudy, splotched backgroundyou see in some watercolors.You can start with a wash as yourbase, or finish with one like glaze to fill in the blanks.Once thisnew piece dries, I can wash over it with tea.The colors will stillshow through, but in a muted way. A little tea with your coffee, huh? An extra dose of caffeine never hurts.It ll give the picture thatvintage photo look, like you were saying.Tony s step faltered, his expression shifting to one of surprise. That was purely an accidental suggestion. You re still a genius. You re still the artist.Come in, let s get you that tea.Realizing Tony sought to downplay his contribution, Josh let itdrop, but inwardly, he remained grateful and impressed.Hefollowed Tony inside, his bare feet padding from the warm planksof the deck to the cool tile of the kitchen.He was greeted by thescent of food.An old Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers songwafted from the den, bringing with it childhood memories, ofriding in the car seat while his mother sang along with the radio.Tony set the jar on the edge of the counter, leaving the built-inspigot accessible.Josh served himself two glasses a tall one withice to drink, and a short one without ice for paint.He added aspoonful of sugar to the tall glass. Thanks, he said as Tonypassed him a lemon-shaped bottle of juice.Josh sipped his sun-kissed tea, quenching his throat, treating121SONORAN HEAThis taste buds to tangy and sweet.He looked at the large potsimmering on the stove.Tony claimed he couldn t cook to save hislife, but Josh enjoyed his lover s simple comfort foods.Tonight sfare featured what Tony called half-assed white chili. The row ofempty cans lined across the counter revealed the contents of thepot Great Northern beans, chicken broth, and chunk chickenbreast.The chopping board displayed the fresh ingredients ofonion, garlic, cilantro, and chili peppers.Instant rice, cannedbiscuits, and a bag of grated cheese waited in the wings.Josh took the liberty of stirring the tall, wooden spoon stickingout from the pot. Mmm, smells good. It ll smell even better after I saut� some onion and garlic.Tony stepped up beside him and dripped a few drops of olive oilinto a skillet, then turned on the burner.Josh sipped more tea and absently looked around.He d beencoming to Tony s house a few times a week for nearly two months.The painting he d based on his sketch of the roadrunner hung inthe den, while his X-Files DVD box set sat alongside a sketchbookand pencils on the coffee table.If he opened the refrigerator orpantry, he d find some of his favorite snack foods.His presencewas evident in other ways, like the toiletries he kept in thebathroom, or the extra work clothes and apron stashed in thedresser drawer Tony had cleared for him.Tony stayed at Josh s apartment sometimes, too, and kept aspare razor, toothbrush, and a change of clothes there, but Joshpreferred the privacy and homey comforts of Tony s place.Fullyaware that Tony had shared this house with another man for almosttwo decades, Josh still considered it to be all Tony s.For all heknew, Richard may have been the one to choose the marble for thecountertops or the tiles for the floor, but Tony was the one who d122SONORAN HEATlaid them lovingly and carefully by hand.He d told Josh about theextensive work he d done on the house throughout the years, inbetween building up his landscaping business.Josh loved thatTony worked with his hands, his blue-collar gruffness softened byan inherent artistic sense.He loved that Tony got his hands dirtywith the raw desert earth to work a botanical miracle.He lovedhow Tony used a can opener and packaged ingredients to whip updelicious, hearty meals.That contrast of hard and soft, combinedwith simple, masculine practicality, made the older man all thesexier in Josh s eyes.Josh was coming to love a lot of things about Tony.With thatthought came the realization that he was coming to love the man.He d keep that to himself for now, no matter how hard it wasbecoming to contain the swell of emotion that grew stronger witheach passing day.As much time as they spent together, ascomfortable of a pattern as they d fallen into in a short amount oftime, Josh knew it was too soon to declare his feelings.Those feelings burned inside him now, to the point where Joshthought his chest might burst.How easy it would be to let it outwith three little words, the ones that hung on the tip of his tongue,yet how hard it was to actually say them, because once he did, hecouldn t take those words back.Instead, he leaned over and kissedTony on the cheek. I m going back outside.If you need help, letme know. You re not helping with shit, Tony said firmly, but his eyesglowed with warmth from Josh s kiss. You have work tonight. So? You worked all day. So? Go paint.Now. Whatever you say, Old Man.The nickname was a running joke between them now.In turn,123SONORAN HEATTony called him Pretty Boy, usually in jest but sometimes in bed,the mere whisper of it in Josh s ear arousing him beyond measure,but beneath the playful humor of it, Josh sensed a deepeningaffection that matched his own.His gaze lingered on Tony a moment before he stepped backoutside.As much as he was coming to care for Tony, art still tookthe most prominent place in his life, and he had a client to satisfy.* * *Tony s eyes followed Josh across the kitchen.He drank inthose long, lean limbs with their graceful stride, knowing firsthandhow it felt to have them wrapped around his body.Once his loverstepped outdoors, he went back to cutting vegetables for the chili.A smooth-voiced DJ crooned over the stereo. Good afternoon,Phoenix.It s more classic rock all weekend-long with an oldie butgoody from 1991, R.E.M. s Losing My Religion [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Linki